Tradescantia plant named ‘Good Luck’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Tradescantia  plant named ‘Good Luck’, characterized by its compact and upright plant habit; strong and healthy leaves; freely flowering habit; purple-colored flowers; long flowering period; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Tradescantia andersoniana.

Cultivar denomination: ‘GOOD LUCK’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Tradescantia plant, botanically known as Tradescantia andersoniana and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Good Luck’.

The new Tradescantia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Anna Paulowna, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to create new compact Tradescantia plants with attractive flower coloration.

The new Tradescantia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2004 in Anna Paulowna, The Netherlands, of two unnamed seedling selections of Tradescantia andersoniana, not patented. The new Tradescantia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Anna Paulowna, The Netherlands in 2006.

Asexual reproduction of the new Tradescantia plant by cuttings in a controlled environment in Anna Paulowna, The Netherlands since 2006 has shown that the unique features of this new Tradescantia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Tradescantia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Good Luck’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Good Luck’ as a new and distinct Tradescantia plant:

-   -   1. Compact and upright plant habit.     -   2. Strong and healthy leaves.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Purple-colored flowers.     -   5. Long flowering period.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Tradescantia and the parent selections differ primarily in plant size as plants of the new Tradescantia are more compact than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Tradescantia can be compared to plants of the Tradescantia andersoniana ‘Bilberry Ice’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Anna Paulowna, The Netherlands, plants of the new Tradescantia and ‘Bilberry Ice’ differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Tradescantia were more compact than plants         of ‘Bilberry Ice’.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Tradescantia were stronger and         healthier than leaves of plants of ‘Bilberry Ice’.     -   3. Plants of the new Tradescantia were more freely flowering         than plants of ‘Bilberry Ice’.     -   4. Plants of the new Tradescantia flowered for a longer period         of time than plants of ‘Bilberry Ice’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Tradescantia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Tradescantia plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Good Luck’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘Good Luck’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of the upper surface of typical leaves of ‘Good Luck’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in two-liter containers during the late summer in an outdoor nursery in Boskoop, The Netherlands and under commercial cultural practices. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 25° C. and night temperatures ranged from 4° C. to 16° C. Plants were two years old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Tradescantia andersoniana ‘Good Luck’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed seedling selection of             Tradescantia andersoniana, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed seedling selection of             Tradescantia andersoniana, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About three weeks at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Thick, fleshy; dark brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; medium in density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; compact             and upright plant habit; broad inverted triangle; moderately             vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 45 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 53.8 cm.         -   Basal branches.—Length: About 27.6 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Internode length: About 5.6 cm. Strength: Moderately strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 137B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate; leaves simple and sessile.         -   Length.—About 21.4 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.6 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Narrowly and long acute.         -   Base.—Sheathing.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous; at the             basal margins, sparsely pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Parallel.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B and 143A.             Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B;             venation, close to N137A. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 137C to 137D; venation, close to N137A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single rotate flowers             arranged in simple axillary and terminal clusters; flowers             face upright; freely flowering habit with about twelve             flowers developing per cluster.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about nine             months after planting; long flowering period, plants flower             continuously from July through September in The Netherlands.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about four days on             the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 137D heavily tinged with close             to N177A.         -   Flower diameter.—About 3.8 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 1.9 cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically three in a single             whorl. Length: About 2 cm. Lobe width: About 1.7 cm. Shape:             Broadly ovate. Apex: Broadly acute. Margin: Entire, slightly             undulate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper and             surface: Close to N87A and N88B; towards the base, close to             N87A. When opening and fully opened, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to N87B and N88B; towards the base, close to             N87B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically three in a single             whorl. Length: About 1.1 cm. Width: About 3.5 mm. Shape:             Ovate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; margins, sparsely pubescent.             Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close             to 146B strongly tinged with close to 184A to 184B. When             opening and fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             137D heavily tinged with close to N77A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Angle: Mostly erect. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 182C to 182D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             six. Filament length: About 1 cm. Filament color: Close to             83B; towards the base, close to 83D. Anther shape: Oblong.             Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color: Close to 12A.             Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 12B to 12C.             Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About             1 cm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 156B             to 156D. Style length: About 9 mm. Style color: Close to             83B. Ovary color: Close to 145D.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Tradescantia. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Tradescantia have not     been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Tradescantia plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Tradescantia have been     observed to have good garden performance. Plants have been observed     to tolerate rain and wind, to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 6 and     to tolerate high temperatures of about 35° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Tradescantia plant named ‘Good Luck’ as illustrated and described. 